The imaginary part of a complex number is the component of the number that includes the imaginary unit, "i", which is equal to the square root of -1. Sometimes, the same concept is referred to in different ways. For instance, the imaginary part is sometimes referred to as the "y-coordinate" of the complex number when it is graphed on a coordinate plane. Other synonyms for the imaginary part of a complex number include the "imaginary component" or "imaginary coefficient." Ultimately, no matter how it is referred to, the imaginary part of a complex number is an important concept in algebra, physics, and engineering.